Google has come a long-way from being a simple search engine to a company which has become an integral part of most Android (sometimes iOS) devices.
But sometimes, Google doesn’t tell you everything upfront about what type of data they collect and to who they sell it to. That’s where Google-free phones come in handy.
By definition, a google-free smartphone can be counted with fingers. If we’re talking touch-based devices, there are a handful of companies which have attempted to remove themselves from the Google ecosystem.
There are still keypad phones that can send text messages, receive calls, and act as a radio, but those won’t really help when you want to keep up with the times.
However, there has been talk lately of a smartphone that sets itself apart – the Murena One – which is the most de-googled, up-to-date smartphone you can probably find on the internet.
The Murena One is still an Android phone but without all the tracking and privacy issues found in most phones today.
The phone runs on an open-sourced OS. Murena One’s e/OS uses apps that don’t rely on frameworks built around the Google system, so the company had to develop its own set. The Murena One has its own messaging app, browser, location services and more.
Murena One Specs
Murena One uses a Helio P60 processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is just enough for the average smartphone user.
If you’re worried about a substandard camera setup, the Murena One can compete with most entry-level budget phones today. It has a triple-camera setup: a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide for scenic shots, and a 5MP depth sensor.
The selfie camera can capture photos using its 25MP sensor, which is actually really good considering most phones today have selfie cameras at a default of 13MP. If anything, the camera setup indicates this unit is in mid-range territory.
Even if this phone is de-googled, developers of the Murena One were kind enough to allow this phone to make use of Google services. You know, just in case you get lost somewhere and you need a more reliable map app.
However, some users have found out that it would actually be easier to just flash the e/OS on a phone like Huawei, and still get the most out of your purchase. The Murena One costs 350 euros, which is around PHP20,000. That’s a really stiff price for 2022.
